Hyams Garden Center and Accent Store

Serving Greater Charleston Area with Quality, Variety & Professionalism since 1981

Garden Store

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Paint Your Spring with Nature’s Brush

Step into the season of renewal, where every bloom is a brushstroke, and the earth is your canvas. At Hyams Garden Center, a vibrant palette of Spring’s finest awaits—petals kissed by sunshine, leaves whispering in the breeze, colors dancing in the light.

Choose your hues, shape your vision, and let nature’s artistry flourish in your garden beds. Whether bold and bright or soft and serene, your masterpiece begins here.

Come, be inspired. Let Hyams help you paint your perfect spring.

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Plant of the Year 2025

Brunnera Macrophylla ‘Jack of Diamonds’ is the Plant of the Year for 2025, celebrated for its bold foliage and charming spring blooms. This shade-loving perennial features large, silver leaves with dramatic dark green veins, offering a striking visual appeal in gardens. In mid-to-late spring, its delicate baby blue, forget-me-not-like flowers add a touch of elegance, making it a perfect choice for shaded borders and woodland settings.

This plant may face challenges in Charleston’s climate, as it prefers cooler conditions and partial to full shade. While it can grow in USDA zones 3-8, Charleston (in zone 8b) might be on the warmer edge of its tolerance. If planted, it should be placed in shaded areas with consistently moist soil and protection from the intense summer heat to ensure its health.

Brunnera Macrophylla ‘Jack of Diamonds’:

  1. Placement: Plant in a shaded or partially shaded area, such as under trees or on the north side of buildings, to protect it from intense afternoon sun.
  2. Soil: Ensure the soil is rich, consistently moist, and well-draining. Add organic mulch around the plant base to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
  3. Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged, especially during Charleston’s hot summers.
  4. Heat Protection: Use a layer of mulch to cool the roots and reduce water evaporation. Provide extra shade during the peak summer months if necessary.
  5. Maintenance: Prune back dead leaves and spent flowers to maintain its appearance. Monitor for slugs, which can be a problem in moist environments.

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Pre-emergent Application to Keep your Lawn Weed Free and Grass Green

It is time to start planning for spring weed prevention and grass greening up. The advantage of applying a pre-emergent herbicide is that it is able to prevent the seeds of those pesky spring weeds from even getting started. Remember, DO NOT APPLY A PRE-EMERGENT HERBICIDE IF YOU PLAN TO SEED YOUR YARD. It will have the same effect on grass seed! In general terms the times to apply pre-emergent herbicides are Valentine’s Day to prevent spring weeds, Memorial Day to prevent summer weeds and Labor Day to prevent winter weeds.

Spring application is most effective when the pre-emergent is applied as daytime temperatures reach 65-70° F for 4 consecutive days. That is usually between February 14th and March 1st.  Herbicide should then be watered in with half an inch (½”) of water to activate. The type of pre-emergent to use should be based on what type of weeds you have. Scotts Halts works very well on crabgrass and other grassy weeds. The 10 lbs bag will cover up to 5000 square feet and should not be applied to landscaped beds. By the way, the Scotts product is now called WeedEx with Halts.  Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper works well to prevent many broadleaf and grassy weeds, including crabgrass, and can be used on landscape plants listed on the label. The 12 lbs bag will cover up to 3500 sq. ft. An organic option would be Espoma Weed Preventer made from corn gluten. A 25 lbs bag covers 1200 square feet. It has some nitrogen as a fertilizer component in it too. We have several other options, bring in pictures or samples of the problems you are dealing with when you visit Hyams Garden Center diagnostic desk and we’ll figure out the best course of action.

As you move into late March early April, you will see the warm season grasses start to green up. Please resist the urge to apply a weed and feed at that time, as the post emergent component and the high nitrogen levels could easily burn the new growth. After you have cut the grass a couple of times an application of a slow release lawn fertilizer such as Ferti-lome 15-0-15 Centipede Lawn Fertilizer will help the grass to green up slowly, not burning the new growth or contributing to fungus problems. The 20 lbs bag will fertilize up to 5000 square feet. Once fully greened up and actively growing, you can apply a weed and feed such as Ferti-lome 15-0-4, St. Augustine Weed and Feed or Bayer 35-0-3 3 in 1 Weed and Feed for your Memorial Day application. Be sure to read the labels of all these products and follow the direction carefully.